Council approves Rise Up Foundation license for Miller Pointe rink after debate; Bassi votes no

The City Council voted to authorize the city administrator to sign a license agreement with the Rise Up Foundation for temporary occupancy and seasonal operation of the Miller Pointe Park ice rink, after an extended discussion over the agreement's language allocating installation, maintenance and reimbursement responsibilities.

The motion, introduced by Alderman Baney and seconded by Alderman Miller, included provisions that the Rise Up Foundation would be responsible for seasonal operation and maintenance during the 2026/27 season and would reimburse the city $1,902.50 for a pump replaced earlier. City staff clarified that the agreement as drafted defers the specific allocation of annual installation and removal costs to a separate yearly letter between the licensee and the city administrator.

Alderman Bassi said she was not comfortable with leaving allocation of costs to a later administrative letter, arguing the council should have clearer up-front delineation of which party pays for repairs and maintenance. "If the pump breaks, it should be the Rise Up Foundation's liability and not the city's," she said, and recorded a no vote when the council took roll call. (speaker 6)

Supporters said the language matched common license agreements for small seasonal items and that detailed annual allocations would be impractical to predict in advance. The city administrator explained the approach was intended to handle small, variable costs administratively rather than requiring council action for every minor repair.

Council also discussed future options for taking title to the rink, signage for donated boards and creating an escrow reserve from donations to cover future transition costs if the city eventually assumes ownership. The motion passed on roll call with a single no from Alderman Bassi; all other members voted yes.